In the theory of periodic gratings, there is no method to make up a numerical solution that satisfies the reciprocity so far. On the basis of the shadow theory, however, this paper proposes a new method to obtain a numerical solution that satisfies the reciprocity. The shadow thoery states that, by the reciprocity, the $m$th order scattering factor is an even function with respect to a symmetrical axis depending on the order $m$ of diffraction. However, a scattering factor obtained numerically becomes an even function only approximately, but not accurately. It can be decomposed to even and odd components, where an odd component represents an error with respect to the reciprocity and can be removed by the average filter. Using even components, a numerical solution that satisfies the reciprocity is obtained. Numerical examples are given for the diffraction of a transverse magnetic (TM) plane wave by a very rough periodic surface with perfect conductivity. It is then found that, by use of the average filter, the energy error is much reduced in some case.

In the shadow theory, a new description and a physical mean at a low grazing limit of incidence on gratings in the two dimensional scattering problem have been discussed. In this paper, by applying the shadow theory to the three dimensional problem of multilayered dielectric periodic gratings, we formulate the oblique primary excitation and introduce the scattering factors through our analytical method, by use of the matrix eigenvalues. In terms of the scattering factors, the diffraction efficiencies are defined for propagating and evanescent waves with linearly and circularly polarized incident waves. Numerical examples show that when an incident angle becomes low grazing, only specular reflection occurs with the reflection coefficient -1, regardless of the incident polarization. It is newly found that in a circularly polarized incidence case, the same circularly polarized wave as the incident wave is specularly reflected at a low grazing limit.

We propose a new analytical method for a composite dielectric grating embedded with conducting strips using scattering factors in the shadow theory. The scattering factor in the shadow theory plays an important role instead of the conventional diffraction amplitude. By specifying the relation between scattering factors and spectral-domain Green's functions, we derive expressions of the Green's functions directly for unit surface electric and magnetic current densities, and apply the spectral Galerkin method to our formulation. From some numerical results, we show that the expressions of the Green's functions are valid, and analyze scattering characteristics by composite gratings.

In the scattering problem of periodic gratings, at a low grazing limit of incidence, the incident plane wave is completely cancelled by the reflected wave, and the total wave field vanishes and physically becomes a dark shadow. This problem has received much interest recently. Nakayama et al. have proposed “the shadow theory”. The theory was first applied to the diffraction by perfectly conductive gratings as an example, where a new description and a physical mean at a low grazing limit of incidence for the gratings have been discussed. In this paper, the shadow theory is applied to the analyses of multilayered dielectric periodic gratings, and is shown to be valid on the basis of the behavior of electromagnetic waves through the matrix eigenvalue problem. Then, the representation of field distributions is demonstrated for the cases that the eigenvalues degenerate in the middle regions of multilayered gratings in addition to at a low grazing limit of incidence and some numerical examples are given.

By use of the shadow theory developed recently, this paper deals with the transverse electric (TE) wave diffraction by a perfectly conductive periodic array of rectangular grooves. A set of equations for scattering factors and mode factors are derived and solved numerically. In terms of the scattering factors, diffraction amplitudes and diffraction efficiencies are calculated and shown in figures. It is demonstrated that diffraction efficiencies become discontinuous at an incident wave number where the incident wave is switched from a propagating wave to an evanescent one, whereas scattering factors and diffraction amplitudes are continuous even at such an incident wave number.

This paper deals with a new formulation for the diffraction of a plane wave by a periodic grating. As a simple example, the diffraction of a transverse magnetic wave by a perfectly conductive periodic array of rectangular grooves is discussed. On the basis of a shadow hypothesis such that no diffraction takes place and only the reflection occurs with the reflection coefficient -1 at a low grazing limit of incident angle, this paper proposes the scattering factor as a new concept. In terms of the scattering factor, several new formulas on the diffraction amplitude, the diffraction efficiency and the optical theorem are obtained. It is newly found that the scattering factor is an even function due to the reciprocity. The diffraction efficiency is defined for a propagating incident wave as well as an evanescent incident wave. Then, it is theoretically found that the 0th order diffraction efficiency becomes unity and any other order diffraction efficiencies vanish when a real angle of incidence becomes low grazing. Numerical examples of the scattering factor and diffraction efficiency are illustrated in figures.